Stage 2 Drama
Subject Advice and Strategies
Costume Designer’s Checklist
Chronological task list
The checklist below is based on a 12 week production period, with 11 weeks of pre-production and 1
week of performance.
*Discussion/Communication/Negotiation can include:
verbal discussion substantiated by individual personal notes; written notations (journal, notebook and
folder); email.
Week 1 – Reading and discussion of text
Read through plays/choose play.
Establish production journal, folder or workbook. This needs to your personal method of record
keeping and archiving their process throughout the production period.
Discuss the general themes and ideas contained within the text with the director and ensemble.
Week 2 – Casting
As costume designer you are dealing with genre/style; period both cultural and political; patterns;
rhythm; shapes; textures and colour to try to create representations of each character in this text.
Examine each character’s words, actions, the stage directions and subtext of the play. Record
these ideas in your journal.
Compile a list of literal references to the costumes from the stage directions and characters lines
with page numbers so you can refer to them quickly. This doesn’t mean you must follow them but
you must think about why the playwright has included them. Also take note of any characters that
refer to carrying letters or coins etc. as you may need to ensure they have a pocket in their
costume.
Create a character breakdown examining each scene and its intention. Also include which
characters are in each scene. This can be shared and discussed with other offstage members and
director. Record the page number each scene starts on so that you can find these in a hurry. This
will give you a whole picture of characters you will need to solve.
Discuss rehearsal times; bump in/production week/bump out schedules and general time
management of the production with the ensemble and director.
Week 3 - Exploration rehearsals
Discuss with the director their intention for the production and think about how your role will
complement this interpretation of the play. This should happen with the offstage team as a group.
There may be a lot of new information for you to think through after this meeting.
Research the context of the text, particularly style of production and historical/social/cultural
context. The director will no doubt have identified a number of elements for you to investigate when
you discussed their intention for the play.
If you choose to set the production in a distinct time period take note of elements such as hemlines,
waistlines for women and trouser style and the number of jacket buttons for men. Often a ‘period
feel’ can be created of a period by attention to these minor details for little expense.
Develop ideas as to what dialogue you want to create through each characters external visual
appearance. What do you want the audience to read from the costume?
Develop images/collages/ideations/montages of possible costume ideas for the production.
Collect images of other costume designers’ work that you find interesting and relevant to your
production.
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Stage 2 Drama Subject Advice and Strategies
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© SACE Board of South Australia 2011
Collect photos from magazines/internet/video and other visual sources of images that interest you
or that are stimulated by the text and share these with the off stage team and the director.
Establish if any actor will be playing more than one character and consult your character
breakdown to establish how this will affect costuming and quick changes.
Week 4 - Exploration rehearsals
Discuss if the director wants to use the literal references to costume you noted from the stage
directions, or if they would prefer a particular visual style or approach to be adopted.
Discuss your interpretation of the production and ideas for the costumes with the offstage team.
This may change and develop over time. Remember that each decision you make should be able
to be justified by the text (character’s words, actions, stage directions, subtext, themes and ideas)
and should also complement and enhance the director’s interpretation
Measure your performers, particularly bust or chest, waist and hip, as well as leg length for trousers
etc.
Be sensitive to the actor’s physical shape and cultural background in your planning. You want to
allow the performers to be comfortable in their costume, not feel uneasy. Any discussion regarding
any of these issues should be facilitated through the director.
Week 5 - Exploration rehearsals
Create ideations of possible costume options for different characters in your journal.
If you know that the style of costume that the performers might be wearing is very different from
their ‘normal’ clothes organise some rehearsal costumes. Actors will find they move, sit and walk
very differently in clothing from other periods. E.g. an Edwardian hobble skirt and heels will force a
performer to walk virtually with her knees touching. Often these details of cultural context enhance
the period production.
Continue your discussions of ideas and interpretation with the offstage team.
Experiment and take photos to document your experimentation with a range of costume ideas e.g.
try different coloured costumes for different characters. What do clothes from different styles or
periods say to the audience? How do you react to a character in a puffy costume compared to a
sleek costume? How does the type of fabric affect your reaction to the character? Make notations
on the different characteristics of each experiment.
Establish how many different costumes will be needed for the production. Will your characters have
multiple changes because of time passing or some other more stylistic reason?
Establish if you need to hire costumes and what budget you have available to do this. Also
establish what budget you have for fabric and other consumables. It would be useful to visit any
theatre organisations you know of to look for costumes that might work for your design, however
don’t let this greatly affect your problem solving.
Visit fabric stores to collect samples of fabrics that might work for your costumes.
Week 6 - Building rehearsals
Create costume drawings of each solution so that you can discuss these with the director. Start to
solidify your ideas, keeping in mind your budget.
Watch some rehearsals, full or partial runs if possible, to ensure your understanding of the
director’s interpretation is consistent with what is happening in your work.
Test any samples of fabric etc. under different coloured theatre lighting to see what happens.
Find out what costumes your school already has that could be used.
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Stage 2 Drama Subject Advice and Strategies
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© SACE Board of South Australia 2011
Week 7 - Building rehearsals
When you have resolved your costume designs draw a final set of drawings. These don’t have to
be major works of art, but do have to communicate your ideas to others clearly. You will need to
establish if each item of each costume is going to be found, hired, made, bought, borrowed etc.
Present your concept to the ensemble using your drawings so that they are aware of your ideas
and understand how they will impact them.
At this point you should have enough detail in your drawings and documentation so that you can
hand off your design to someone else to make.
Week 8 - Building rehearsals
Create your costume pieces. Find and borrow what you have been promised. Confirm what you are
hiring, Make and buy what you have time to and can afford.
Actors attend costume fittings.
Week 9 - Polishing rehearsals
Continue creating your costume. Start finishing details, like buttons or jewellery etc.
Actors attend final costume fittings.
Be involved with the scheduling of Bump in/Bump out and Production week particularly costume
parade, tech rehearsal and dress rehearsals.
Week 10 - Polishing rehearsals
Make sure you have confirmed any hire equipment you need to obtain.
Try to prepare as much as possible before Bump in, make sure you have all the equipment you
need for the dressing rooms. E.g. hanging racks, an iron and ironing board, sewing kit, safety pins
etc.
Discuss any costume changes with the stage manager so they can record these in their prompt
copy and allocate any crew needed to make them happen. However, the stage manger does not
usually call any quick changes. An actor and their dresser will negotiate the details of the change
during the technical rehearsal or first dress.
Week 11 - Polishing rehearsals
Bump in - supervise the installation of the costumes.
Establish with the stage manager areas for quick changes if needed.
Establish a list for the costume parade. You may wish to see characters scene by scene in their
costumes or in particular significant groupings. This is your last opportunity before the dress
rehearsal to make sure all costumes are perfect. You may like to ask your performers to try some of
their movements in their costumes.
Attend the lighting plot to ensure you are happy with how costumes look in the states the lighting
designer has created. Any discussion about the states should be handled through the director, as
they have the overall vision for the production.
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Stage 2 Drama Subject Advice and Strategies
533561374 (revised February 2011)
© SACE Board of South Australia 2011
Week 12 - Production week
A cue to cue rehearsal is often an efficient way to check that everything works; it also allows the
stage manager and operators to get a feel for their jobs and timing. Make sure you attend so that
you can solve any quick change problems as they occur. Only performers with quick changes
should be in costumes, with make-up and hair done, for the cue to cue.
At the technical rehearsal the stage manager should call all the cues and if you or the director
deems any are incorrect for any reason the run should stop and the cue repeated. If you have
completed a cue to cue this should be rare.
At the dress rehearsals the production should be running as it would in performance. You should
note any mistakes concerning your designs, giving notes to the stage manager after the run.
Logistical issues should be discussed with the stage manager, while design issues should be
discussed with the director first and then any changes in procedure passed on to whoever is
creating the hair and make-up for the character.
Ensure you have gathered all the evidence of your process for your interview with the moderator.
Participate in a ‘mock’ interview with your teacher.
Performance and interview with the moderator.
Bump out and return any hired equipment.
Costumes laundered and stored.
prepared by Cassandra Backler
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Stage 2 Drama Subject Advice and Strategies
533561374 (revised February 2011)
© SACE Board of South Australia 2011